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Catherine Russell

Catherine Russell is a vocalist, bandleader, and recording artist whose leader catalog draws on swing, blues, roots music, and American popular song.

VocalsBandleaderRecording artist2 current shows
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Photo source · Photo: Tom Beetz, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Career Overview

About Catherine Russell

Russell's official biography connects her New York upbringing to pianist-bandleader Luis Russell and multi-instrumentalist Carline Ray. Before recording as a leader, she built an extensive touring and studio career as a vocalist and instrumentalist with artists across jazz, rock, pop, and roots music.[1]

Her leader catalog began with Cat in 2006 and developed through acoustic small-group programs devoted to overlooked songs, blues, swing, and the Great African American Songbook. The official music archive separates that catalog from her many backing-vocal and soundtrack credits.[1][2]

Ensembles and Career Threads

Bands & Projects

Leader and vocalist

Catherine Russell leader ensemble

Russell's acoustic band uses guitar, piano, reeds, brass, bass, and drums to recover and rearrange songs from several eras of American popular music.[1][2]

Vocalist and multi-instrumentalist

Touring and studio vocal work

Her official biography documents more than two hundred album appearances and touring work with David Bowie, Steely Dan, Paul Simon, Rosanne Cash, and others.[1]

Vocalist and interpreter

Soundtrack and roots repertoire

Russell's catalog includes period-song soundtrack work alongside leader albums that draw from blues, early jazz, swing, and roots traditions.[1][2]

Selected, Not Exhaustive

Recordings to Know

2012 · World Village

Strictly Romancin'

Leader and vocalist

Russell's fourth leader album continues her small-group approach to swing, blues, and less frequently recorded popular songs.[1][2]

Release details

2016 · Jazz Village

Harlem on My Mind

Leader and vocalist

The album centers songs from the Great African American Songbook through Russell's acoustic ensemble arrangements.[1][2]

Release details

2022 · Dot Time Records

Send for Me

Leader and vocalist

Russell's eighth leader album extends her practice of pairing familiar songwriters with overlooked repertoire and compact band arrangements.[1][2]

Release details

Artist-Authorized Destinations

Start Listening

Official music catalog

Browse Russell's leader recordings, release information, and authorized listening paths.

Official Bandcamp

Hear and purchase selected Russell recordings through her artist-controlled Bandcamp catalog.

Live Calendar

Upcoming Jazz DateBook Shows

Fri, Oct 2, 7:30 PM

Catherine Russell at Rose Theater

Rose Theater · New York

Show details

Sat, Oct 3, 7:30 PM

Catherine Russell at Rose Theater

Rose Theater · New York

Show details

Evidence-Based Connections

Related Musician Guides

Connections below come from shared current Jazz DateBook bills or normalized documented performance roles—not subjective similarity.

Allan HarrisVocalist · GuitarShared documented roles: Vocalist · BandleaderBen PatersonPiano · Hammond organShared documented roles: Vocalist · BandleaderBenny Benack IIITrumpet · VocalsShared documented roles: Vocalist · BandleaderBrian BladeDrums · ComposerShared documented roles: Vocalist · BandleaderClarence BekkerVocals · SongwritingShared documented roles: Vocalist · BandleaderEric ShifrinPiano · VocalistShared documented roles: Vocalist · Bandleader

Sources

Career copy is original synthesis from the artist, label, and project sources below. Current dates come from Jazz DateBook event inventory.

  1. [1] Official biography and musical lineage

    Catherine Russell

  2. [2] Official leader recording catalog

    Catherine Russell